Aplus.net Blog

According to search engine marketing blogger Mark Jackson, Google’s quest to personalize search engine results will mean the death of the ranking report — possibly as soon as next year.

“I recently searched for a keyword phrase to do some research on other SEO companies,” writes Jackson in his blog entry for today. “After performing one search and then entering another search query, Google added a phrase onto the top right of the search results: ‘Customized based on recent search activity.’

The meaning of that phrase is self-explanatory — the results you received have been personalized just for you, based upon what Google knows about your search habits. And, Jackson goes on to state, you don’t even have to be logged into your Google account for this to happen.

This is the latest proof that Google is getting close to (once more) reinventing the search engine game. An enormous change in the fundamentals of how search engine rankings (which currently fuel the bulk of online shopping) is underway. There will be “no more top rankings or number one ranking for a certain keyword phrase,” according to Jackson.

And, he thinks that’s fine. “Track your traffic, conversions, and ROI. These are the important metrics for any form of marketing or business. That’s the way it should be.”

Of course, this is all based on the premise that Google is the only search engine that matters. And, though some may dispute that conclusion, it’s hard to argue that what Google doesn’t directly control, it influences rather heavily.

Will this prediction comes true? Even if it doesn’t — or if it takes a little longer than anticipated — it may be a good time to diversify your online marketing efforts.